...Sorry for the late chapter, hehe... my mind was occupied by other things.
The three trainers retreated to separate rooms. They could finally be alone, though it seemed that if they spent more time together, everything would fix... but it was just a wild guess.
"Too bad that we go to sleep after fights," Walcekite sighed, while sitting on the windowsill. "What if something happens and we won't be able to apologize for our actions... Well, they aren't that close, so maybe they wouldn't even care, but..." she hugged her legs. "...I care for both of them."
The storm outside was getting brutal. The mere few drops Walcekite spotted earlier had turn into an ocean, constantly falling down. The electrifying Nimbasa City was getting electrocuted by bursts of lightning. Kind of ironic...
A lamppost outside Walcekite's window caught a flash of lightning and shattered instantly. The girl flinched, but stayed on the windowsill, still hugging her legs, just buried her face from fright. With a peek, she saw a fire erupting in the drastically uncovered electric wires of the lamp, but the rain took care of it.
Walcekite carefully got her head outside and looked to the windows of the rooms her teammates should have been in. Both windows were closed and both had light spreading out. The cerulean-haired girl looked at her room's lamp. It was off. Walcekite felt like hiding in darkness, but she was getting lonely. She took Meilli's pokeball, but when she wanted to summon her, something caught Walcekite's attention.
A dark figure, walking towards the handrails that stood as protection near the edge of a river. Walcekite knew all too well, who needed to go out every night, no matter the weather. But this was too dangerous.
"That Farrioust. He's crazy," Walcekite growled with irritation and worry. Once she placed Meilli's pokeball back in her bag, she got her jacket and ran out of her room and out of the pokemon center. When she was about five meters from the boy, she cried out his name. It got his attention, and he stopped, but just shrugged it off and continued walking. He was walking on the wrong side of the handrails, very close to the edge and sliding his hand over the columns and the chains. Walcekite went after him close to the edge too, but still on the right side. "Farrioust! Please! It's too dangerous!" Walcekite felt the cold and fast raindrops almost cutting her skin. Farrioust must have felt the same thing, but didn't seem to care at all. When powerful winds came to attack them both, it made them hold onto the handrails, so they wouldn't fall down. The dark haired boy was so close to the edge that Walcekite feared the worst. "Please Farrioust! Just come back to the pokemon center!"
"You know I can't!" he shouted back. "You are the one that should get back!"
"I'm not leaving without you!"
*flash*
Lightning hit a tree, less than a meter away from Walcekite and she squealed with all her capabilities, releasing the fear built up even from the earlier lamppost shattering. She fell on her knees and hid her face in her hands.
"I'll get shocked! I'll die! I'll die!" Walcekite thought paranoid. And suddenly, she felt someone embracing her.
"It's alright. I'm here," Farrioust whispered to her. "I give up. Let's go back."
Walcekite raised her frightened eyes to the black eyes of the teenage trainer and nodded.
They both carefully got up and started walking, while holding on the handrails, but another strike of lightning hit a nearby column that was holding the chains and from the impact, it fell into the water, dragging a few columns after it. The sudden strike made Walcekite and Farrioust hold anything they had their grip on tighter and they fell with the columns and the chains.
It seemed time was slowing down. The cold raindrops, that were almost cutting the two trainers' skin from their speed, were visible as they slowly fell. The sound of the storm had vanished and only the clanging of the chains remained. Walcekite felt how she was being separated from Farrioust during the fall, but there was nothing she could do. She felt paralyzed.
Unbelievable coldness engulfed the two teenagers and the strong current wouldn't let them reach surface for a while. The adrenaline in both of the trainers blood kept them focused and energetic, but with every passing moment, they're blood was cooling down.
Walcekite couldn't see Farrioust underwater. It wasn't very messy, as the storm just started, but it was enough to not see anything than a meter away. Walcekite hopelessly tried to reach the surface, with her arms and legs grasping the freezing water, but it didn't seem to have any effect. She started sinking. The cerulean-haired girl grasped the handle of her bag. She knew pokeballs were in there. She knew she didn't have any water types and the others couldn't possibly help, but she felt calmer, feeling that she needs to get out of this water not only for herself, but for the pokemon.
*thump*
Her legs reached the ground and although she was still dragged with the current, she managed to jump from the ground and with a little more struggle, reach the surface.
All sounds of the storm returned. It was terrifying, compared how toneless it was underwater. The lightning colored the sky bright yellow and gave off spooky shadows. Walcekite still saw the city, but it has almost passed and she didn't have enough time to reach the shore. But she didn't give up. One stroke after another, she paddled her way a bit against the current. She thought she was doing well... but she was wrong. With all her strength, she only managed to move a few feet and the moment she stopped stroking, the current brought her back to her initial spot.
From the despair, Walcekite's energy went down even faster and she found herself once again almost underwater. The cold liquid was getting in her mouth, but her nose was too weak to handle such intense breathing and matters got even worse.
A close flash hit a thin, tall tree on the shore and it started cracking. It was Walcekite's only chance.
"Ch-chesire! Use Slash!" She yelled with the water making her suffocate, but the pokeball was thrown well and the Liepard knew what he had to do.
One precise and sharp slash and the tree fell to the water. Walcekite stroked through the water with her last remaining strength and hit the fallen tree, but managed to grab onto it tightly. Chesire carefully approached his trainer and tried to drag her on the tree, but her body was too heavy and the current didn't help either.
Understanding that things will probably go grim, Chesire grabbed his trainer's bag and ran to land. Walcekite didn't understand what he was doing, but she started to not care. Everything stopped bothering her. She was losing consciousness and drifting away, like to a dream.
Chesire knew there was no time to lose, but it's not easy for a feline with no thumbs to open a bag, even though he only needed to pull the magnets apart.
Finally, after using his claws, he rolled out the pokeballs inside with his paw and pushed the buttons on them with his nose. He knew that it wasn't a good thing, for a Litwick to come out during a storm, to save his owner from water, but Chesire didn't know which pokemon was in which pokeball so it's justifiable.
"What's happening?!" Meilli shouted out the same question that was bothering everyone, but they didn't need answers a few seconds later, when Chesire pointed to their trainer that was hanging onto a tree in a freezing river.
Meilli ran as fast as she could to Walcekite, but she knew she couldn't get her out alone, just like Chesire couldn't, but it was too dangerous to try and pull her out with all the pokemon on the tree. Even if the tree would manage to hold their weight, ultimately, it would crack when Walcekite would be on it too. Their only hope was Locus that tried to remain transparent, so the rain wouldn't get his flame.
"Locus! Please, use Telekinesis!" Meilli yelled, but the Litwick seemed to hesitate. The rain was a huge threat for Locus. It seemed Walcekite didn't summon him for that reason too and chose Chesire instead.
But Locus decided. With a real body again, the shiny candle pokemon felt the effects of the storm instantly. His face was distorted by pain, but with his eyes glowing bright green, he focused only on one thing.
Walcekite became outlined in green light and was slowly being raised out of the water. The water, from the soaking girl, fell like a waterfall. Her loose limbs dangled in the furious wind.
"That's it! Just a little further!" Meilli encouraged Locus while walking back to land after her floating trainer. The other pokemon cheered on shore too.
But Locus wasn't doing so great. His body endured much pain - the rain hurt like acid for the partially fire type pokemon. Even so, he knew he had to bring Walcekite back. He knew everyone was counting on him. But he didn't know how quickly his flame shrank in that ferocious storm.
The green outline disappeared and Walcekite was dropped into the water. At least half of her body was already on shore and her pokemon could easily drag her in fully. But everyone couldn't cheer and couldn't breathe easier. Litwick fainted with his flame extinguished.
"Ugh... Wh-where am I?" Walcekite muttered when she came to. A dim light reached her. Something echoed loudly, but she couldn't understand what it was.
"Walcekite. You're awake again," Meilli snuggled her head to her trainer's cheek. "Are you going to cough up water again?"
"I-I did that? Why?" Walcekite was still confused.
"You almost drowned, but Locus used Telekinesis and got you out of the river," Meilli started explaining. "But his flame went out so we knew we needed to find a dry spot and take care of both of you," Meilli looked behind her back and smiled at the pokemon that were coming to see how Walcekite was.
Walcekite took the info in and recovered most of her memories. Now things became clearer. By the echo in this place, it seemed this was some sort of cave and the storm hasn't calmed down yet. But it was alright now. Everyone was safe and partially dry. Meilli, Chesire and Pela were here. Locus was recovering from the storm. His flame had already lighten up.
"B-but where's Palabella," she spotted that something was missing.
"She's out gathering berries for you two. She just loves thunder storms," said Meilli.
"Then everything's fine," Walcekite sighed with relief and returned to her previous lying pose, that was on the back. Then she started planning with her outer voice. "We will rest a little bit and then we'll go to a town where you guys will be healed properly. Then me, Farrioust and Catlesy will continue..." Walcekite's face darkened with worry. She quickly sat up. "Where is he?!"
"Who?" the pokemon were confused.
"Farrioust. He fell into the water with me," she stood up and looked around. "I need to go find him."
Even though her pokemon wanted her to stay and rest, they couldn't oppose a human that is almost bigger than all of them combined. Well, Chesire had some chances, but he knew he could accidentally let his nails loose and that could result in worse injuries, than Walcekite has now.
Suddenly, Walcekite stopped in her steps, just before the entrance and turned around.
"What am I doing? I can't leave you here." She came back and returned her pokemon into their pokeballs, though Meilli refused and jumped on her trainer's shoulder. "Meilli, it's wet out there," Walcekite warned the tricky fox.
"I know. But if you can take it. So can I," she smirked.
"Fine, little missy," Walcekite giggled and went out of the cave. It was already morning, but probably a really early one. The storm was calmer than before and now it mostly only rained. A lot of time has passed.
After getting Palabella back and safely returning her to her pokeball, Walcekite started looking for Farrioust.
"He'll be around here somewhere, right?" she tried to reassure herself, but she wasn't good at such things and she muttered it so quietly, even Meilli couldn't hear it through the calmer storm.
*~.*.*.*.~*
The two shady figures were already up and waited in the lobby of the pokemon center. Their targets hadn't risen yet, but that's why they themselves woke up so early.
"They couldn't possibly get up earlier than us, right?" Simpherra asked like she wouldn't believe it, but there was a hint of doubt in her voice.
"Heh. Where do you get these ideas? They never wake up this early, as far as I know," Seffus continued reading a big newspaper. He took it so he would seem less suspicious and could hide, but ended up actually interested in what he had before his eyes.
"I don't know... I just... I just have a bad feeling."
"About what?" Seffus turned the page.
"Seffus, not many people have the ability to understand their hunches, you know," Simpherra said sarcastically. She wanted to talk more, but she just sighed, seeing Seffus wouldn't pay any attention to her anyway. "When girls are talking, boys should listen," she thought and sat more comfortably in the soft armchair for waiting at the pokemon center. Of course they were waiting, but not for pokemon, so that annoyed people a bit. But they should just mind their own business.
After a few hours, a blonde girl with a white dress and a purple jacket came down, looking for two people. Simpherra remembered the blondy that made her fall and knew she was friends with Farrioust and Walcekite. But if she doesn't know where the two are, then who can?
The girl talked a bit with nurse Joy and both of them took some keys and went to the second floor, probably to check on the trainers.
"Seffus, should we go too?" Simpherra asked, still looking at the females, but when she didn't get an answer, she turned to Seffus. "A-are you sleeping?"
She found her partner napping in his armchair, with the newspaper somehow still in his hands. Simpherra giggled and approached Seffus. When she leaned in, he didn't even move so she smiled and poked his cheek. He softly frowned, but didn't let out a sound and was still sleeping.
"Ok Seffus, this is getting too awkwardly cute. Wake up!" she yelled, but still whispered, with a smile on her face. But he remained asleep, just started curling up in the armchair, the newspaper fell to the floor. *blush* "Even cuter," Simpherra sighed. She wasn't used to this look on Seffus. "Always rough and tough and now?... Just ridiculous," she looked around. People were watching. "Seffus, do you want me to cause a scene? You are sleeping in the freaking lobby. Just wake up," Simpherra still whispered.
She wanted him to wake up, but... she could also just spend the day looking at him. But she remembered, why did she want to wake him up. Walcekite and Farrioust were somewhere their friend didn't know and that meant trouble for them, if they can't observe them. Simpherra walked around Seffus, to find a good way to wake him up without causing a ruckus. She finally decided to just nudge him from the side. After some muttering, he remained asleep, so the girl pushed him harder.
*grab*
Seffus turned around in the armchair and just caught Simpherra's arm. The teenager nearly squealed, but calmed down and tried to get her arm out.
"Come on Seffus. Enough fooling around," Simpherra was getting worried and she felt her face flushing. "Please... Just... wake up."
Suddenly the black-haired trainer held his teammates arm tighter, pulled her and the girl just fell on him, because of his force.
A short scream and the weight of the girl was finally enough for Seffus to wake up.
"S-Simpherra?"
"Oh my Arceus! You did this on purpose!" the girl with the emerald colored outfit was furious, but when she looked at he black-eyed teens blushing, confused and awkward face, it all went away. Now only blushing remained on her. When she got up, she backed away about a meter and looked down, trying to hide her red face. "You were sleeping and I wanted to wake you, but you caught my arm and pulled me towards yourself and I just, well, fell."
"Heh, so that was the soft thing?" he chuckled. "I thought I was only dreaming it."
"Well, anyways," she began, still looking at the floor and afraid to meet Seffus' eyes. "I think Farrioust and Walcekite are gone."
"What?" the previous mood depleted and something close to anger came up. "Where are they then?"
"I don't know. The blonde friend and nurse Joy probably went to check their rooms. I wanted to wake you up, so we would go spy on them and get information, but," she looked at the stairs to the second floor. "They're probably done. Although nurse Joy isn't back... I guess we should go, if you finally woke up," she finally looked straightly at Seffus and smiled.
Seffus flinched from the sight of that smile. Both of them smiled rarely and it was mostly smirking, but this smile was warm and sincere. "What happened when I was asleep?" he wondered.
"Ok, guys, just calm down. We'll find your trainer," when the spies finally came to the second floor, they spotted the blonde girl, trying to make the worried pokemon settle down... But the big pokemon were a little too much for the little girl. "Lysus, did you find Farrioust's bag?" only the Gallade cooperated with the girl. And the Gothorita was calm too, waiting behind Catlesy.
The Gallade pushed through the remaining four pokemon that were blocking the exit. They wanted to go out, but wanted to stay too and without deciding, they just made a ruckus, pushing anyone in the way, while they were almost going in circles.
"Oh, great. Thank you, Lysus," the blade pokemon gave his trainer's bag to Catlesy and she quickly found the pokeballs. She aimed the pokeball's beams to random pokemon, until the right ones went back to their balls.
"No sign of them?" After all the pokemon came back, the blonde girl asked nurse Joy. When Joy shook her head, Catlesy sighed. "Too bad Lysus can't communicate with us, although he is a psychic type. I guess not every pokemon has the same abilities as others of their type. But now we have no idea where Farrioust or Walcekite could be."
"...I know where he should be," Seffus decided and went down to the first floor. Simpherra was a bit confused, but left after his teammate.
"So where do you think he is?" Simpherra caught up to him when he was leaving the poke center.
"He needed to walk at night. Either he got lost in the storm, or something worse happened," Seffus explained.
"Worse?" Simpherra tilted her head, but Seffus remained quiet and didn't answer.
The storm had finally passed and the destruction from the weather was showing in the light of day. Fallen trees and branches, severed electricity wires, damaged houses. It was obvious that this storm was brutal for anyone caught in it.
The two partners walked towards the river and spotted a gap in the handrails.
"Seems it was shocked by lightning," Seffus touched the spot were the first column fell from the lightning.
Simpherra squatted down and spotted a piece of fabric on a column's edge that was partially broken.
"Dark teal jeans..." the black-haired girl took the piece off and gave it for Seffus to look.
"Just like Farrioust's," Seffus agreed with Simpherra's guesses.
*~.*.*.*.~*
*~.#.~.#.~*
"So cold," his body was still mostly in the water and he couldn't feel it. He managed to catch a big branch, but couldn't get to the shore, so he ended up in the ocean. It was scary, because he knew that any minute his strength would deplete and he would let go of the branch and just... sink.
"Oh my Arceus! Are you seeing this?" a voice of a young teen reached the black-haired trainer.
"Yeah. I'm not blind, you know," another teen spoke up. "You get him on your Seismitoad and I'll contact the base."
Luckily, the teen with the Seismitoad was strong enough to pull Farrioust out of the water and rhe dark-haired trainer finally left the frigid liquid.
"Hey, are you alive?" they tried to communicate, but Farrioust didn't even have enough strength to even properly wink. "He needs a medic. Let's go, Seismitoad!"
Farrioust heard the water calmly getting out of the swimming pokemon's way.
"So cold... So cold..." he still couldn't feel anything, except the chill in his body, but the numbness turned everything off and he drifted into unconsciousness.
